Many fled country because of lack of jobs,
deteriorating economy at home

More than 100,000 visa applications already
received; many more expected

Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN --
Zimbabwean immigrants living in South Africa have just a few days left to apply
for visas that would allow them to stay in the country
legally.

"Let there be no illusion, the government will
not extend the deadline for the registration of illegal Zimbabweans living in
South Africa," said South Africa's Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini
Zuma.

"Every resource has been placed at the disposal
of illegal Zimbabweans living in South Africa to afford them the opportunity to
regularize themselves."

She urged immigrants who have not yet done so to
apply as soon as possible and not wait for the December 31 deadline.

"Accordingly, and even at this late hour, we
take this opportunity to make the final appeal to those who have not applied for
their regularisation or those with fraudulently acquired South African documents
to apply or submit such documents now and not wait for the deadline," the
minister said.

Zimbabwean immigrants have been seen recently
lining up outside the home affairs offices across South Africa. Many have slept
on the pavement waiting to legalize their status in South Africa.

"It is very difficult to get a job. So it's easy
for us here to get a work permit so that we can also support our families back
home," said a Zimbabwean immigrant, who asked to be identified by his first
name, Lovejoy, as he waited outside the Johannesburg office.

Since April 2009, Zimbabweans living in South
Africa illegally have had amnesty from deportation. But next year, authorities
have said immigrants without visas will be deported.

The threat of being forced back to their
struggling country has sparked widespread fear.

Once a regional bread basket, Zimbabwe's economy
has rapidly deteriorated over the past decade. A unity government formed by
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in February of last
year has been tasked with rebuilding the country, but progress has been
slow.

Work hours have been extended and staff in South
Africa increased to deal with the more than 100,000 visa applications already
received. Many more will likely be filed in the coming days.

Deportations are not expected to start until all
the applications have been processed, according to the home affairs minister,
though it was not immediately clear how long that process would take.

'We are working and doing our
best to sort out their issue," said Dlamini Zuma.

Karoi
Hospital Turning Away Patients

Karoi, December
28, 2010 - Karoi Hospital was during the Christmas period turning away
patients due to lack of doctors.

The nurse in charge, identified only as
Sister Kazawo was telling patients here that she was the highest qualified
medical personnel on duty and was therefore not in a position to attend to
everyone.

She was seen by Radio VOP turning away three road accident
victims Portia,Petronella and Rejoice Kanengoni who had been referred to the
hospital by the police.

She said she had no time to talk to
journalists because they were disturbing her.

“You can go to the
maternity ward and see the Nurse in Charge if you want. I do not know her
name, go and hunt for her if you are interested. Where do you want me to get
the doctors to attend to those patients you are referring to, “she
said.

Radio VOP approached Maternity Ward sister in charge Sister
Gwatidzo who confirmed they were no doctors available since December
25.

“The problem we are having here is that stand-by doctors are not
reachable. We have been trying their numbers by without success. However
this is not a justification of the returning of patients by nurses," she
said. “I can tell you that we have a seriously head injured patient who has
not been attended to by doctors since last night, “she said.

However,
one of the off duty male nurses told sister Gwatidzo in the presence of
Radio VOP that duty nurses were reluctant to call sand-by
doctors.

“They are lying. They do not want to call the doctors. These
nurses are sabotaging patients, because last night when we were on duty we
called doctors who responded quickly,“ said the male nurse.

Soldiers
man roadblocks

HARARE - The dreaded military police brandishing AK47 rifles have
been roped into manning roadblocks alongside the Zimbabwe Republic Police
force across the country raising fears among travellers who are often
subjected to body searches.The presence of the army on the roads has
raised concern among travellers as many do not see the need for the army to
be involved in civilian daily life especially this festive season when many
people are travelling for holidays.Along roads in the country there are at
least two military police officers at the endless road blocks.A passage
travelling from Harare said that there is no need for the army to be at road
blocks as that often causes unnecessary concern among passengers.“I do not
even see the need to have the army on our roads. Policemen are better as
that is there duty to man roadblocks,” said the passenger.Over the past
years President Robert Mugabe has been gradually militarising the country by
placing soldiers who often have a dog-like-devotion to him in all facets of
civilian life.

We Are
Trained To Kill – Soldiers

Buhera, December
28, 2010 – Soldiers deployed here at the beginning of the festive season,
stunned villagers when they told them that they were trained to
kill.

Villagers near Sungura shopping centre who confirmed living in fear
said they were frightened by the message.

“What surprises us is that
we are not in a war and yet we see soldiers here promising to kill us for no
apparent reason. For almost a week now, about 15 soldiers led by retired
colonel Magirazi were camping near Chadzire Bridge in ward 20," said a
villager.

“They (soldiers) call for rallies from time to time,” said a
villager.

“We are not sure of what tomorrow will bring us. We live in
fear that we may be beaten or even killed. We do not know the meaning of
these threats,” said another villager.

Manicaland police spokesperson
Inspector Brian Makomeke said anyone who feels that he or her life was put
under threat by the ‘suspected soldiers’ should make a police
report.

“We normally encourage villagers to make police reports whenever
they think that their lives are in danger,” said Insp
Makomeke.

Retired Colonel Magirazi could not be reached for
comment.

Meanwhile, Zanu (PF) has since started campaigning for Custon
Mukurunge to be their next member of parliament for the area.

“This
time we are ready for anything. Come thunder ofr rain- we will make sure
that victory for Zanu (PF) is certain,” Mukurunge told villagers.

Moyo
use security forces for no-go areas in Tsholotsho

FORMER Information and Publicity Minister and MP for Tsolotsho
North Professor Jonathan Moyo has declared areas in and around his
contituency in Tosolotsho as no go areas for ZAPU and other political
parties, sources in the Zimbabwean security forces revealed.

In a
statement reaised to the media ZAPU said it regrets to announce that police
have barred our party from holding a public meeting at Tsholotsho Business
Centre.

The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 29 December. Zapu
president Dr Dumiso Dabengwa was billed to address the
meeting.

Police in Tsholotsho refused to sanction the meeting claiming
that they did not have sufficient manpower to cover the event. Zapu believes
the police are under pressure from certain quarters to thwart the Zapu
crusade in Tsholotsho.

However, The Zimbabwe Mail can reveal that
former Information and Publicity Minister Jonathan Moyo and MP for
Tsholotsho North has declared the rest of Tsholotsho a no-go area for ZAPU
and any political other groups ahead of 2011 elections.

Moyo, who is
defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa's chief strategist in Zanu PF succession
battle is said to be planning a full deployment of the army to secure his
sit in Parliament.

We wonder if the police have ever refused to sanction
a Zanu-PF rally anywhere in Zimbabwe. We even doubt if Zanu-PF even applies
for police clearance to hold meetings in most cases.

The cancellation
of the meeting disappointed residents of Tsholotsho centre and surrounding
villages who did not hide their excitement and anxiety to attend their first
Zapu meeting since 1987.

We suspect the excitement may have caused the
powers-that-be to influence the police not to sanction the
meeting.

However, that will not stop the inevitable; Tsholotsho will come
back home to Zapu at the next polls. Our party has the requisite political
experience and structures to counter dirty tactics by our opponents. -Plus
TheZimbabwean

Police
bar Zapu meeting in Tsholotsho

Written by Methuseli Moyo, Zapu
spokesperson.Tuesday, 28 December 2010 12:42

ZAPU regrets to announce
that police have barred our party from holding a public meeting at
Tsholotsho Business Centre. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 29
December. Zapu president Dr Dumiso Dabengwa (pictured) was billed to address
the meeting.Police in Tsholotsho refused to sanction the meeting claiming
that they did not have sufficient manpower to cover the event. Zapu believes
the police are under pressure from certain quarters to thwart the Zapu
crusade in Tsholotsho. We wonder if the police have ever refused to sanction
a Zanu-PF rally anywhere in Zimbabwe. We even doubt if Zanu-PF even applies
for police clearance to hold meetings in most cases.The cancellation of
the meeting disappointed residents of Tsholotsho centre and surrounding
villages who did not hide their excitement and anxiety to attend their first
Zapu meeting since 1987. We suspect the excitement may have caused the
powers-that-be to influence the police not to sanction the meeting. However,
that will not stop the inevitable; Tsholotsho will come back home to Zapu at
the next polls. Our party has the requisite political experience and
structures to counter dirty tactics by our opponents.

War Vets
Grab Farming Inputs

Mberengwa, December 27,
2010 - War veterans and Zanu (PF) youths in Mudavanhu area of Mberengwa in
the Midlands province have grabbed farming inputs meant for distribution to
farmers in the area.

The inclusive government has embarked on a programme
to distribute farming inputs such as maize seeds, and fertilizer to poor
communal farmers in the district. The programme is being run by officials
from the Agrcultural extension department (Agritex).

A group of war
veterans and Zanu (PF) youths led by Tavona Chigwengwenene and Obey Moyo
have taken over the project and are distributing the farming inputs to Zanu
(PF) supporters and to their relatives only.

“We have these guys led by
one war veteran Chigwengwenene who have grabbed the programme. They are now
distributing the farming inputs to Zanu (PF) supporters and to their
relatives only,” said an Agritex official.

Edius Moyo of the Morgan
Tsvangirai led Movement Democratic Change (MDC-T) Mberengwa district
chairman, called the government to intervene and stop the corruption by
these war veterans.

“These war veterans now act as if they own Mberengwa
district. They have to be stopped, we can’t let them continue harassing
people in this district. The inclusive government especially the Ministry of
National Healing should do something about this,” said Moyo.

Moyo
said last week Chigwengwenene and his group stopped the distribution of
these farming inputs at Zibanga business Centre in Mudavanhu area and told
everybody who had gathered there to produce Zanu (PF) cards.

Farisai
Zhou an MDC supporter who was also barred by war veterans said “she was
advised that if she wants to get the farming inputs she should join Zanu
(PF) and buy the party card first”.

Chigwengwene and his group of
about 30 Zanu (PF) youths have been causing terror in Mberengwa in the past
recent years especially towards elections.

Early this year there were
arrested after disrupting a constitutional parliamentary committee
consultative meeting on the new constitution held at Vutsanana Secondary
School in the same district.

No
electricity nor water at Christmas

CHITUNGWIZA - Traditionally Christmas is a period
of merry and partying. Its that time of the year when people forget about
the troubles that characterised the ending year. However, for many people in
Harare the day was no different to other days as there was neither water no
electricity on the day that comes but once in a year.Residents of
Chitungwiza who have been experiencing water woes and electricity blackouts
were shocked when ZESA the power utility denied them the chance to dance to
music and the council prevented them from bathing since the tapes where
dry.While no official comment could be given by the two service providers
who are also enjoying the festive season residents of the sprawling town
expressed shock and dismay and urged the service providers to take them
seriously.“We have paid for electricity and water yet we spend Christmas
without water. As for power it was erratic and I even failed to bake because
of the outages. We hope that next time they will take us seriously,” said
Nomsa Bande.Culture dynamic as ever has not spared the residents of the
town that is third to Harare and Bulawayo in terms of population. In the
past residents used to go to their rural homes and spend the Christmas with
relatives and friends but that is no longer the case.Lack of money to
travel to the countryside has seen the rural areas coming back to the urban
centres that do not have tape water nor electricity.“Imagine I had to cook
using firewood and for water I had to go to draw from a well. There is no
difference between my rural home and the town where I am made to pay for
water that is not evn available,” said Tendai Chikanya from the same
time.What is shocking to many people is that most industries in the country
are closed and yet power supply remains erratic.

Top Prison
Officer Transferred For Keeping Goats In Cells

Harare, December 28, 2010 - A top prison official has been
transferred for making prison inmates share cells with goats.

Chief
Superintendent Norbert Chomurenga who was the officer in charge of Harare
central prison has been transferred to Hurungwe farm prison following a
commission of enquiry which visited the prison to find out why goats were
being kept at the prison.

According to one of the senior officers who
were part of the commission of enquiry, Chomurenga failed to explain why the
goats were being kept at the prison. He has since been replaced with Chief
Superintendent Christmas Tarwira.

Prisoners at Harare Central prison
were last week removed from their cells to create room for five goats. This
resulted in prisoners sharing a few tiny cells available in an already over
congested prison.

In August, Harare Remand Officer in Charge Chief
Superintendent Chibaya was interrogated by senior service officials for
keeping 200 chickens in a prison cell meant for juveniles. He is alleged to
have quickly removed the chickens from the cell before the investigation
team arrived.

Zanu
PF breaks the law

MUTOKO SOUTH - Despite the ban that was imposed by the Ministry of
Education Sports and Culture barring political parties from conducting
rallies at schools former Police Assistant Commissioner commanding
Mashonaland East Province, Everisto Pfuvhuti has been using schools in
Mutoko South to hold political rallies.Pfuvhuti the man who destroyed
dockets that highlighted the atrocities that were committed by Zanu PF
hoodlums during the 2008 bloody Presidential run-off campaign is honing
himself to square up against Zanu PF heavyweight Olivia Muchena in the
former ruling party primary elections.“Pfuvhuti has been using Zanu PF
structures here to drum up support for himself ahead of the elections in
2011. He is angry that he was not duly rewarded for his work in 2011 and
also feels that Mai Muchena is not doing anything for her constituency,”
said a Zanu PF insider.However, Pfuvhuti’s campaign has been far from clean
as he has already breached the laws of the country that imposed a ban on
political parties from contacting rallies at schools.MDC-T Spokesperson
for Mashonaland East Silas Gweshe said that Pfuvhuti has so far held
political rallies at Chidara Primary and Secondary Schools.“Our supporters
have been forced to attend the rallies that have been held at schools and
the police cannot do anything against their former boss,” said
Gweshe.While the leader of MDC Morgan Tsvangirai is calling only for a
presidential poll President Robert Mugabe of Zanu PF is insisting on yet
another synchronised poll despite the fact that the fiscus cannot bankroll
the plebiscite and that most of his MPs are against elections.With
Mugabe maintaining that there is going to be elections, jostling for
positions in the former ruling party is gathering momentum thick and fast.

Mugabe
withdraws fleet from Billy Rautenbach

Harare -
President Robert Mugabe has without explanation and under unclear
circumstances withdrawn 15 of his trucks from businessman Billy Rautenbach’s
SABOT Transport company which are now running under the name Earth
core.

A senior driver within SABOT transport (who declined to be named)
which is co-owned by President Robert Mugabe, and ZANU-PF sponsor Billy
Rautenbach said Mugabe was no longer interested in his fleet crossing the
borders.

“I do not know much about how much share the President has in
the company but what I can confirm is his recent withdrawal of 15 trucks
from the fleet which are now running under the trade name Earth Core. These
vehicles are now operating locally and we are told that he does not want his
vehicles to cross the country’s borders. President Mugabe still has some
trucks which are trading under SABOT”, he
claimed.

billy_rautenbach_Rautenbach(nicknamed ‘The Napoleon of
Africa’)’s businesses are protected from any form of seizure by ZANU-PF
because of his partnership with President Mugabe. The controversial
businessman has vast businesses ranging from farming, transport and bio-fuel
production which he is believed to be co-owning with senior ZANU-PF
officials. In a recent TV documentary titled “Bankrolling Mugabe” on
Britain’s Channel 4, he was described as corrupt by opposition politicians
and was shown to have interests in the mining industry of Zimbabwe and
linked to moves to remove black farmers from their grazing land.

His
patronage to ZANU-PF has reportedly protected him from racial discrimination
and harassment by Mugabe over the past decade during which eviction of
whites has been the order of the day.

Zim Child
Abuse On The Rise

Harare, December 28, 2010 -
There have been at least 800 000 cases of various child abuses in Zimbabwe
since 1999, Tara Miller, Director of Child line Zimbabwe has
confirmed.

In an exclusive interview Miller said 801 788 cases of child
abuse had been reported from November 1999 to December 2010.

"The
cases were mainly sexual abuse in nature closely followed by physical
abuse," she said. "They were followed by cases of children being abused
because of their family relationships. Some were suicide cases."

She
said in December 1999 only 12 991 cases of child abuse had been reported to
Childline which had, however, shot up to 245 744 in December, 2010.

"The
cases seem to be on the increase mainly because children now access to cell
phones and they can thus phone us with anonymous names," Millers
said.

"In December, 2009, 116 397 cases had been reported which was up
from the 50 713 cases reported in December 2008.

Chid line helps
children who have been sexually abused either by their parents or even
friends.

"The cases are up in Zimbabwe," Miller said. "This is very
worrying indeed."

Commercial
Banks Resume Consumer Lending - At a Price

Bankers said consumer loans
repayable over six or 12 months, help cushion low-paid workers from the
harsh economic environment

Gibbs Dube | Washington 27 December
2010

Some Zimbabwean commercial banks are resuming consumer lending,
making loans for school fees, settling power and water bills, and for 7other
purposes, in general lending the equivalent of one month’s salary at 28
percent annual interest.

Bankers said such loans, repayable over six
or 12 months, provide low-paid workers with a cushion against the current
harsh economic environment.

Harare
banker Charles Moyo said that customers who applied for loans should get
their money in the next few days.

Economic commentator Bekithemba Mhlanga
said such loan schemes signal a return of confidence between bankers and
their

For those who do not qualify for bank loans or are reluctant to pay
high rates of interest, savings clubs are springing up again as Zimbabweans
with little disposable income pool their financial resources, correspondent
Taurai Shava reports from Gweru.

Mutambara
safe in govt - Madhuku

HARARE - Arthur Mutambara is in no danger of losing his cushy
Deputy Prime Ministerial post – and all the trappings that go along with it
– even if he loses his party president role.

Constitutional law
expert, Lovemore Madhuku, says Mutambara can complete his term in office as
long as President Robert Mugabe is happy with his performance, even if he
loses his party’s backing in the Global Political Agreement
(GPA).

Madhuku said recent suggestions by the smaller faction of the MDC
leadership that Mutambara could be recalled from government were
“nonsensical and have no legal force”.

“There are two things here;
the law and political morality,” said Madhuku. “At law, a person in
government can either resign or be dismissed. However, in political
morality, DPM Mutambara, by virtue of being the leader of his political
party, can be asked to resign voluntarily, but he can refuse to
go.

“There is no legal requirement.”

Madhuku said the fact
that Mutambara had not offered himself for re-election at his party’s
congress in January did not mean he was out of government.

“There is no
such language as recalling in this country. It’s the ANC (African National
Congress) language and it’s nonsensical. Mutambara was sworn in by the
President in terms of Amendment number 19 Act and that is the Constitution,”
Madhuku told the Daily News.

“It is only Mugabe who can either force him
to resign or dismiss him, if he is not happy with his performance. The GPA
is not the Constitution and is a separate arrangement. So, Mutambara is
likely to complete his term in the inclusive government,”

The
University of Zimbabwe Public Law lecturer made comparisons with Mugabe’s
refusal to swear in Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister, despite
being seconded by his party to the inclusive government in line with the
GPA.

“The President has the formal power to refuse. It is the same
with Mutambara. His party can say it wants him replaced but it is of no
legal effect, the GPA is not the Constitution,” said
Madhuku.

Mutambara, who has had to endure months of speculation regarding
his future at the helm of the smaller faction of the MDC, has opted not to
contest in the forthcoming elections – leaving secretary general Welshman
Ncube in pole position to take over the reins.

The former UZ student
leader has said he will remain a card-carrying and ordinary member of the
party he joined as leader in 2005 after its spectacular split from the
original Morgan led-Tsvangirai MDC.

Mutambara, the robotics professor
once with the US space agency, NASA, was head-hunted by Ncube to lead the
party after he successfully persuaded his allies, mainly from Matabeleland,
to form a break-away party.

Ncube was angered by Tsvangirai’s decision to
veto a national council vote to participate in the senatorial
elections.

The national council had voted in favour of participation
despite Tsvangirai’s refusal and Ncube felt his decision to reverse the vote
was unconstitutional and undemocratic.

Mugabe - Asleep At the Wheel

The situation in Zimbabwe is bad enough without another
African leader praising Mugabe for his stand in retaining power in the country,
despite losing the 2008 election. And I am a little bit surprised that there
doesn’t seem to be the support from other African leaders for the MDC to be
allowed to assume the mantle of power as handed to them by the popular
mandate.

Why bother to have elections if the results are to be
ignored?

“Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo warned West African
leader Sunday that any attempt to oust him by force could ruin the regional
economy and trigger a bloody war.

On Tuesday, three West African presidents will visit Abijan
int a bid to convince the defiant 65-year-old leader to step down, a last-ditch
plea that comes backed by a threat of regional military
intervention.

Gbagbo said he took the threat ’seriously’ but would never
back down, and his lieutenants warned that any intervention could put the
millions of West African migrants living in Ivory Coast in
danger.”

Gbagbo has a perfect template to follow - that of the
‘revered’ Zimbabwean leader, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The Southern African
regional is unable and reluctant to take any action against Mugabe who has
effectively conducted a coup by remaining in office and having the entire
democracy of the country turned on its head, leaving the party that won the
election out in the cold.

“Several international leaders, including UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon, have warned Gbagbo’s stubbornness could plunge Ivory Coast
into civil war.

But Gbagbo’s supporters turned the warning around, claiming
instead that the threat of military action by the West African bloc ECOWAS poses
a greater risk of mass civilian casualties and a regional
conflagration.

Gbagbo said the West African move was the result of a Western
plot directed by France and the United States, whose ambassadors he accuses of
undermining Ivorian electoral procedures in order to propel Quttara into
power.

“When you go through what I’ve been through, you tell
yourself, ‘Perhaps Mugabe wasn’t completely wring after all,’” he said,
referring to Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who clung to power after losing
the election.”

Using Mugabe’s actions as a benchmark is entirely wrong. He
has refused dialogue, embarked upon a bloody campaign to remain in office now
and after the next election - and now his ego will be stoked by Gbagbo’s
comments and his intentions.

But why do African leaders insist on showing how spineless
they are by quietly acquiescing Mugabe’s moves to remain in power? The threat of
civil war in Africa has now taken root in the South and West of the continent,
and cannot be more than a single rifle shot away.

Mugabe’s apparent conception of power being infectious in
another part of Africa aside, it is apparent that the old man of Zimbabwe is
tired and in need of a rest. He insists on making long, rambling speeches which
make the most absurd allegations against the West and Morgan Tsvangirai, and yet
in meetings, he has developed a habit of nodding off.

This backs my theory that he is nothing more than a
figurehead for the military leaders in Zimbabwe, who are busy priming their
forces to take power in any new election by force.

This is further backed up by the public utterances of
Mugabe’s senior henchmen who have stated that nothing less than a Mugabe win
will be acceptable to ZANU PF...